


Ghostwriter

by Uniasus



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Magic Books, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2014-04-30
Packaged: 2018-01-21 09:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1545479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uniasus/pseuds/Uniasus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katherine thought she knew every book in the library, until she comes across a self writing one by Jack Frost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghostwriter

**Author's Note:**

> I shouldn't have started this, but ShuuRyuu liked the bunny and my iPod played Lizze West's Jenny and then BoA's Scream back to back and they were perfect songs for Jack and Pitch respectively....I had to start writing.
> 
> I actually recommend you listen to the songs, as they're your insight to Jack and Pitch for this fic. They're **not** POV characters and it's the emotions and motivations of the songs that directed the off screen action for Jack and Pitch.

There was a scratching noise from somewhere in the library. At first, Katherine worried it was a bookworm having a snack but then she recognized the sound for what it was. Writing. More specifically, an ink dipped quill on vellum. 

She followed the noise. She hadn't let anyone into the library, and hadn't been aware of any of the windows opening that might have been a Santoff Claussen resident coming in via a less traditional way. Who could be writing?

It was probably Ombric, who had must have slipped in during the night, fallen asleep, and only now woke up to continue working on one thing or another. 

Except, it wasn't Ombric at all.

It wasn't anyone.

Instead, there was a book she had never seen before. Which was saying something, she knew all the books and stories in this library by sight and touch. This one was new. It was also glowing a soft blue that seemed to dim and shine in time with the sounds of writing coming from it.

She picked it up, running her hands over the cloth binding. It was rough and her fingers toyed with the thin threads on the corners before flipping over the cover. 

Despite the glow and strange sound, it was just an ordinary book. Title and author centered on the first page.

The Dragon's Princess  
By Jack Frost

Katherine never heard of such a story before. 

And she knew every story.

Curious, she flipped the page and started to read. She had only gotten few pages into it when she turned one and realized the book wasn't finished. In fact, it was being written.

Words flowed over the page, the pacing irregular. One word, and then seven, then two, a whole paragraph, and then that paragraph disappeared and new one started to write itself. It was a rough script, written by someone who had very little practice with a pen, but the ten or so pages she had read had drawn her in immediately. Such a well crafted fantasy world! Such vivid imagery! The author had storytelling talent.

Katherine flipped back to the cover. Jack Frost. It was an unfamiliar name for an unfamiliar book. She supposed she should be worried – books didn't write themselves. This spoke of magic, and powerful magic at that. She'd show the book to Ombric, of course, but it didn't feel evil, didn't feel like anything other than pure fantastic adventure. Katherine couldn't wait for it to be finished so she could read it.

* * *

She ignored the library in favor of the book, sitting against a window and reading as the pages filled. There would be large gaps in the writing, hours were nothing would happen, and then maybe a sentence or two were added or rewritten to get a precise wording. Whoever this Jack Frost was, he was very particular over what word he wanted to use, even if his vocabulary was limited. 

“Katherine?” A voice called.

She jerked her head up at Ombric's voice. She had been rereading the first chapter during the most recent lull. 

“Katherine? You missed dinner.” And if Ombric was aware of that, she had either missed more than that or his work today had been slow. Maybe that was a good thing. He would have time to start on the book.

“Over here!”

The sound of footsteps brought the magician closer and she watched as he came around a stack of books. 

“Reading again? Why am I not surprised? What story are you rereading now?”

Katherine shook her head. “This is a new one. It writes itself.”

“What?” In a flash, he had snatched the book from her hand and started muttering spells under his breath. Katherine stopped him with a hand on his forearm. 

“It's not dangerous.” She had done her own checks thanks to the few devices lying around the library. 

Ombric continued muttering for another minute, ignoring her, but then nodded in satisfaction. “There's nothing evil, its just...”

“A self writing book.”

“Yes.” He flipped through the pages, and Katherine watched him gaze at the familiar writing. She didn't know if the book was written in Jack's actual handwriting or not, but it wasn't the best penmanship. The lines didn't help either. They were only on the most recent pages, where Jack was deciding on sentences and words, figuring what paragraph should come first. It made reading them a little confusing. But if she waited while the story moved ahead, the lines disappeared and only the good bits were left. 

There were five chapters now, and there was nothing in the writing to tell the difference between the pages of The Dragon's Princess and High in the Clouds which she had just reread yesterday. Aside from the soft blue glow coming from the cover.

“What I want to know, is how can this Jack Frost person write by magic? It would certainly save me a lot of hand cramps to do it.”

“Jack Frost?” Ombric asked, flipping to the cover page to answer his own question. Katherine could tell the name wasn't familiar. “I'm more concerned as to how he can create an artifact far away from where he physically is, that changes as it's made, here in Santoff Claussen past my wards.”

That was worrisome. It required a great feat of magic to do that, and Ombric knew the most powerful magicians in the world. 

“We don't have to worry though, right? This Jack isn't evil. He just,” she shrugged, “writes stories.”

“Something we should be thankful for. If he has this much power, who knows what he could do.” Ombric closed the book with a snap. “I want to run some tests, see if we can find him through this book.”

“Okay.” Katherine would love to meet him, his story was wonderful. “Want me to pull the relevant titles and bring them to your office tomorrow morning?”

“That would be lovely, thank you Katherine.” Ombric walked out of the library, book in hand.

She cursed. She would have liked to finish reading the story before giving the book to Ombric. His tests might get in the way of the magic and she hated starting a story only to never finish it.

* * *

Kathrine arrived first thing in the morning with an armful of books and a local child trailing behind with breakfast for both her and Ombric. The magician would be too interested in the book to leave his office to eat, and well Kathrine was too. With a huff, she set the books down on the desk, startling Ombric, and then took the tray from the girl. “Thank Lizzie, now go play okay?”

Lizze nodded and Kathrine set to work buttering a piece of toast while Ombric scanned book titles. While he was distracted, she pulled the book towards her and began catching up. There had been a lot more written than she expected. Someone had insomnia. 

Ombric snatched it from her hands. 

“I was reading that.” Katherine huffed.

“I don't want you reading it until I know it's safe.” 

“I read it all day yesterday.”

Ombric simply frowned and then started on a barrage of questions. “Did you sleep well? Any strange dreams? Or dreams different than your usual method? How does your head feel? Your fingers?” He grabbed her hands and turned them over. 

Katherine reclaimed her fingers. “I'm fine.” She knew Ombric was just looking out for her, as always, but really, she had been around for a bit. He gave her one more hard look, and then nodded.

“Now, tell me, what did you find out during the night?”

He ran fingers through his hair. “Not much actually. Here's hoping these books help.”

* * *

They spent two months examining the book. Ombric did most of the examining while Katherine simply looked up advanced and uncommon spells in books and them before him, but she liked to think she helped. In those two months they'd only been able to find out one new thing – Jack Frost's magic was elemental. He had to be a winter spirit of some kind.

So there was a new very powerful winter spirit out there and instead of causing blizzards or creating glaciers he was using his magic to write stories in a town magically removed from the world. Kathrine wanted to know why. Ombric how. But they had no way of getting that information. 

“Maybe it's your own wards getting in the way.”

Ombric looked up at her. “If this Frost character can get the magic _into_ my wards then I can track it _out_ of them.”

“It's still worth a shot isn't it?”

He huffed and then nodded. “I've been meaning to see Nick for awhile anyway.”

Kathrine clapped her hands in delight, she hadn't seen her brother in ages. 

“We'll leave in a few days, I have to let him know we're coming.”

* * *

Kailash fumbled on the landing, honking, but Katherine didn't blame him. Her brother's house was covered in ice and geese weren't built for walking on it. Nor, she amended as she slid on ice as she dismounted, was she. 

Ombric, wizard that he was, had no problem walking on the frozen water and subjected himself to Nick's hug. 

“Nick! It has been too long.”

“I cannot tell. You look same!”

Katherine righted herself and then made her way over to the two men. 

“Katherine!” Nick swept her up in a hug and gave her a twirl. She laughed and playfully swatted him when her feet were on the ground. Katherine didn't know if it was the fact that he was Santa Claus, a Guardian of Childhood, or just her big brother that made her feel young around him. She didn't mind. This trip made her realize just how much she missed Nick. And how much time she had been spending in the library. She needed to get out more. Even if she did like the ability to brag about knowing every tome by touch.

The three of them headed inside, Nick leading the way to a small kitchen where a lunch sat waiting for them. Complete with two pies for dessert. That was Nick, giant sweet tooth. If he ever got married, it would be to a woman with a mean sugar cookie recipe.

They spent a few hours simply catching up. Nothing much had changed in Santoff Claussen. It was removed from the world by magic and didn't progress the same way. Time even ran differently. To Katherine, it had maybe been ten years since she'd seen Nick. To him it was closer to fifty. He had aged well. 

Earth however was a different story. The world had expanded with the discovery of a new continent a few centuries ago, and now the French and British were living well in America. 

“Many new believers, these past few years. Is simple for me, but Tooth is having to find many more helpers. Her fairies do best job, so they work America. She has little mice now to do Europe.”

“Doesn't that defeat the idea of a tooth fairy if it's actually mice picking up the teeth and leaving coins?” Katherine asked.

Nick shrugged. “Kids sleep whole time. If they believe it is fairies taking teeth, who will tell them no?” 

Ombric smiled into his hot chocolate. “Are you understanding just how important belief and stories are then?”

“Ya. I knew stories were important,” Nick nudged Katherine's shoulder with his own, “because you told me so. But I know why now. Stories become truth.”

Ombric nodded. Katherine knew there was more too it than that, but it was close enough. The story that was recorded and passed along was what was remembered, and thus considered the truth. Or at least contained elements of it as the tales shifted. She knew for a fact the Unseelie Court hadn't always lived underground.

“Speaking of stories.” Katherine pulled out Jack Frost's book and handed it to Nick.

“The Dragon's Princess, by Jack Frost,” Nick read. “A new favorite Katherine you had to share with me?”

“Not exactly.” She couldn't blame him for not knowing the book was odd. It had stopped glowing once the story had finished, a few weeks ago. 

As her brother flipped through the pages, her father explained. “This is a book created by magic,” Ombric began. “The book itself was created by magic and then wrote itself. Katherine found it near the story's beginning in the library.”

“In the library? This was created through the wards?”

“Yes. This Jack Frost, if that is his real name, is very powerful. I haven't been able to find out anything about him or how he made this book.”

“Have you looked around Santoff Claussen? What if this was a test to see if he could get past the wards?”

Katherine was shocked at the idea, but Ombric just shook his head. “I thought about that, but there's no evidence. We know Jack Frost is a winter spirit of some type. Have you heard of any powerful ones?”

“There is a few. Old Man Winter, the Snow Queen, you think one of them did it?”

“No,” Katherine broke in. “Writing a story for fun doesn't sound like them. Besides, Ombric knows of them and that their power level isn't this high. It's someone new.”

Nick stroked the beard he had started growing since she'd last seen him. “I will ask around.”

“Thank you. Katherine also made the suggestion that my own wards might be getting in the way of figuring out who Jack Frost is. Can we stay a couple of days and recast the spells? I promise we won't get in the way of Christmas.”

“You are family! You can stay for weeks! Come, I show you rooms.”

Katherine smiled at her brother's back as he led them through the workshop. There was something nice about the chaos of the yeti and elves after the calm that home was usually wrapped in. Nick had mentioned a new people, the natives of America. Maybe while Ombric was doing his spells, she could go and collect some traditional tales. They would be interesting to read.

* * *

Ombric shook his head as they walked back to Big Root. "Finding Jack Frost is a puzzle that I simply can't ignore. He gets into my wards, and even at Nick's place I can't track him. At this point, it's a challenge that I refuse to let get the best of me, but I can't think of anything else to do to analyze the book!"

Katherine patted Kailash in the neck then sent the goose off. The flight between Santoff Clauseen and the Pole wasn't a short one. "Maybe you just need a break. Put it on the back burner. We've been doing nothing but study Jack's book for three months."

Her father sighed. She knew he liked to attack problems head on until he cracked them, and as they were usually solved with magical knowledge or might that had worked in the past. But the puzzle of Jack Frost wasn't bending to either of those options. 

"You suggest I read a book then? Escape into a fantasy land and momentarily forget my troubles?"

Katherine blushed. While she was never running away from troubles, she did often get lost in made up worlds. "Well, why not? You've been analyzing Jack's book, but have you actually read the story yet just for the sake of the story? And not just analyzing the handwriting or word choices?"

"You know, I haven't. I'll have to remedy that."

Ever the book keeper, Katherine pulled The Dragon's Princess from her satchel and handed it to Ombric. "Take care of it. I've already read it seven times and it's a favorite."

"I thought they were all your favorites," he smiled as he took it. With a wave, he made his way to his office. 

"Don't forget dinner in an hour!" she called after him and got a wave over the shoulder in return. 

Katherine sighed, already reminding herself to pick him up on her way to the communal dining hall. She walked up the stairs to the library and breathed in the scent of paper and ink, leather and vellum. As pleasant as the visit to her brother's house was, this library was her home. More so than her own bed. It was where she knew the surroundings down to the smallest wood whorl of the far back bookcase and where her soul felt the most at peace.

She wandered the aisles, checking for things out of place. No one used the library as much as she did, Santoff Claussen residents joked it was her bedroom, but it was open for public use in the the little less then two weeks she had been away it was quite possible one of the residents had come to borrow a book. Peaking down the cooking aisle, she could see exactly that had happened. There were books out of place on the shelves and a few on the floor as well. Not minding the work, she set about straightening the library out. Katherine finished right on time for dinner and dragged Ombric to the table with her. He was, she was pleased to learn, very engrossed in Jack's tale.

* * *

A few days after their return, there was a knock on the doorway of the library.

"Come in!" Katherine called from the corner where she was reading. Ombric still had Jack's book, but it had put her in a mood for stories about kidnapped princesses so she had collected all the appropriate novels and was rereading them all. Jack's book lacked some of the common tropes and she didn't know if that was intentional or if he simply wasn't aware of them.

For instance, Jack's princess wasn't a maiden.

Fog showed up, a book under his arm. "I'm returning a book I took while you were away."

"That's fine," Katherine marked her place with a ribbon. "What did you borrow? Did you like it?"

"I took Flying. And it was okay I guess. I read all the stories, but some of them weren't very happy."

"Flying?" It was a title she wasn't familiar with.

"Yup," Fog held out the book for Katherine to take.

It was cloth bound, rough fabric over a wood front and back cover. She flipped to the cover page.

Flying  
A story collection by Jack Frost

Katherine took a deep breath. She and Ombric had been so involved in The Dragon's Princess that they hadn't even thought of the possibility that Jack might write another book. And here was this one. It had to have been finished with Fog selected it, he wouldn't touch a glowing book.

"How long have you had this?"

"I took it the day after you left."

So Jack had either finished the collection in a day, or she hadn't noticed it being written. Probably because she was with Ombric in his office studying the first book. How short sighted of her. Jack was a good writer, he wouldn't stop at just one story. 

Katherine vowed to give the library a good long search for any other book Jack might have written.

Tomorrow, for today she was going to read Jack's new book. She opened the page and began reading the first story, only slightly aware of Fog leaving. There was one about a fairy who had been born with disfigured wings, and how his friend built him a device that would let him fly. Another about a bird who had been caught in a trap and the child who nursed it back to health. About a boy who longed to fly and found a genie who granted his wish thanks to magic. A girl who jumped from a cliff with a sheet and the wind carried her through the clouds after she dreamed it was possible. 

All stories of those who wanted nothing more than to soar in the sky, and found a way to make their dreams come true. 

She knew story collections usually had themes, but such a specific one was unusual. Typically it was travel stories, or understanding one's place in the world. Achieving dreams, perhaps. But the dreams in Jack's stories were all the same.

Absently, Katherine wondered if the story was wish fulfillment. Taking a short break, she made her way to Ombric's office, Flying under her arm. For as quickly as Ombric could devour a textbook, he was much slower with fiction. Still, he was almost done. He'd probably return it to the library tomorrow.

"Yes?" he asked, looked at her through his glasses. 

"Jack wrote another book." She placed it on Ombric's desk and this close she could see the similarity between the two books. Same binding, same cover materials, same cloth cover. The only difference was the color of the cloth. The first had been a deep green, this one sky blue. 

Ombric quickly pulled Flying towards him and flipped to a random page. The handwritting was the same, as was the formatting. Katherine absently noted that the books were the same thickness, though The Dragon's Princess had been a longer read. Maybe it had just felt like it.

"When did he write this one?"

"I'm guessing shortly after he finished the first. Fog returned this one to me this morning. It was complete at the latest the morning after we left for Nick's."

"Is there a third? There's been enough time for him to start one."

"I don't know. I'm planning on doing a thorough search tomorrow." 

Her father nodded, pulling the blue book close, and already muttering spells under her breath. She didn't expect Ombric to have anymore success with this book than he had with the first.

* * *

She found a third and fourth book, the first a complete new novel set on a pirate ship and the fourth one had had to have been started that morning as it only had a few pages written. Jack had a writing speed that she hadn't seen other authors show. Three complete books in a little over three months was impressive. He had to have a lot of time on his hands and not for the first time Katherine wondered why he spent that time writing stories he couldn't actually read instead of creating winter storms like other winter elementals. 

Goodness, Ombric suspected Jack Frost had more power than the Snow Queen. He could fight her for her crown. Or defend himself from her because she didn't like competition.

Actually, she really didn't like competition. She had attacked any other winter spirit with a decent amount of power to prove her strength to them and put the other spirit in their place (though she had lost to Old Man Winter). Logically, she would have attacked Jack. But there was no evidence about that, no strange storms on Earth and no talk of a battle from Nick. Katherine supposed that the Snow Queen didn't know about Jack Frost, just like Nick hadn't either.

How could such a powerful spirit just disappear?

Unless they wanted to. Jack could be hiding himself. But then why the stories? They shouted his presence, limited though the audience of the stories were in Santoff Claussen.

Katherine shook her head. It was a mystery, and like Ombric's obsession with finding out how Jack was making the books she was beginning to develop a fixation with Jack Frost as an author. Why was he writing the books? What type of person was he? Why hide himself away, only to force himself into Katherine's life via books?

She was determined to find out.

* * *

It was close to a hundred and fifty years later when the Guardians of Childhood showed up in Santoff Claussen. Something big had to have happened to warrant that. 

From a window in the library, she watched Ombric greet them. Normally, she'd be down there greeting her brother too but his stern face and his companions announced that this wasn't a social visit. They came to talk to Ombric and she'd be lucky to get in a quick hug before they returned. 

She squashed down the resentment that came with the thought that they arrived just as she was about to share an insight into Jack with Ombric. Jack might be the main thing on the minds of her and her father, but in terms of the world there were more important things.

No, for now Katherine would stay in what she had named 'Jack's Corner'. He was in the process of writing the last story of another collection and she was enjoying watching him work in the way the words on the page were added, crossed outed, and mulled over. She personally wasn't much of a creator, just a recorder, and it was wonderful to watch someone work. Katherine also liked to play a game with herself, guessing at what Jack was going to write next.

Her concentration was interrupted by a cough and she stated, head snapping up to see not only her father before her but also Nick and the rest of the Guardians. Quickly, she set aside Jack's book and hugged her brother. 

"I know you must be anxious to talk to Ombric about whatever has come up, so thanks for coming by to say hello."

"Actually," Nick admitted, "we come to talk to you."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Are these all of Jack's stories?" Toothiana was running her fingers along the spines of the books on the top shelves of those filling the space. Katherine raised an eyebrow at Nick, she hadn't expected him to tell the Guardians about Jack or for them to take an interest.

"Yes. All the books here were written by him."

Bunnymund whistled. "I've done a bit of writing myself, but no where near as much as this bloke. How many books are here?"

"Almost twenty six hundred." It was a pretty big corner. Actually, despite her mental name for it, 'Jack's Corner' was an alcove Big Root had added to the library just for Jack's works. He had been writing non-stop. Though Katherine supposed some of the crazy writing pace could be explained by the time difference between Earth and Santoff Claussen. A hundred and fifty years to her had gone by since she first found The Dragon's Princess. Ombric guessed it had been about three hundred years on Earth where Jack was hiding somewhere. 

"What did you want to see me about?"

"Jack Frost," Ombric answered.

"Why are the Guardians interested in him?" Kathrine scrunched up her nose. Years ago, Nick had been interested by the puzzle of the book but nothing beyond that. But that certainly didn't explain an official visit by the Guardians. 

Sandy waved and through his series of signs she understood that it wasn't the Guardians themselves who were interested in Jack, but some third party. Understanding that not everything was being related, Nick explained more fully.

"Mother Nature came to visit us. She is missing a winter spirit. Has been missing him for long time. She is not so good with time, noticed one day and came to us the next in her mind but almost hundred years passed since she realized this spirit is missing. Mother Nature did not know when spirit was created, just that he is powerful. When she came to the Pole yesterday to explain, I thought of your Jack Frost."

Katherine should not feel the need to fight down a blush at the phrase 'your Jack Frost'. 

"We think the missing spirit might be Jack." Toothiana said. "From what Ombric and North told us, he's very powerful."

"And bored," Bunnymund added, absently flipping the pages of a book.

"Actually, I'm not sure that's the case."

Everyone turned to look at her.

"If you read multiple books by the same author, you gain an understand of them." Kathrine started explaining. "If most of their books are set in a certain city, it's one the author has familiarity with. Certain themes, preferences, hints of their life and desires leak through the pages. It's hard to pick up on if an author has only a few books, you can't do a lot of cross referencing to see what the recurring bits are, but if you have a lot," she gestured to the book filled shelves all around her "you can pick up on things. I'm actually surprised it took me so long to figure that out, his story collections are all about very, very specific themes."

Ombric looked at her. "You know where he is."

"Not, not exactly. But I don't think he does either. See, Bunnymund, I don't think Jack is writing these because he's bored. I think it's escapism. The story collections are about his very specific wants - to fly, to play in the snow, to see the sky, to play with children. He may have been a spirit for awhile now, but I think he's actually very young. Or a future Guardian, to have such a fixation with kids." She gave the Guardians a once over, and it was obvious the idea surprised them.

"Manny gave no such hint."

Sandy simply shrugged, as if to say 'that was the Moon'. 

"Escapism?" Toothiana said. "What's he escaping from?"

"I...I think he's being held captive. All his books contain elements of someone being held against their will and being rescued."

Ombric frowned. "I haven't read as many of his books as you have Kathrine, but I've read a few. He has a great imagination. But nothing he's written in the past couple years has mentioned people needed to be rescued."

"No," she said, shaking her head sadly. "In his early books it was very, very obvious. His first was called The Dragon's Princess, remember? And his second about being captive on a pirate ship. As time went on, the theme changed from a plot of rescuing a main character, to a minor character being rescued, to a period of captivity being in the backstory...these stories were a fantasy to get away from what ever was happening to him while he's wherever he is, but as time went on he lost the hope of someone rescuing him and just kept writing stories in his head to get away from his captor. It's this most recent book though that has me concerned."

Katherine picked up Jack's most recent work, the story collection, that she had placed on her seat when the Guardians and Ombric came up. Absently, she noticed Jack had written those last few paragraphs, finishing it. She handed the book to Ombric, who flipped over the rough cover and read the title out loud.

"Peace, stories by Jack Frost."

"They're all about committing suicide," she said softly.

Ombric flipped to read the first page, Nick, Toothiana, and Sandy reading over his shoulder. Bunnymund walked over to her, another one of Jack's books under his arm.

"You want to save him." 

Katherine nodded. She wasn't sure how to explain it. She had never meet Jack Frost in person and what she knew about him was only through his books. But through them she felt as if she understood Jack. These books were his inner worlds, tales of fancy and hope, personal musings on morals and ethics. The books were Jack, and after reading all of them many times it was impossible for Katherine to say she didn't care about the person who wrote them.

"I was planning on telling Ombric all this today anyway, but held off when I saw you guys arrive. "

Bunnymund glanced over at others, still reading the book with a variety of expressions. "We'll save him, but the first step is to figure out who has him and where. Do you have any clue?"

"A little," she gestured to the book under Bunnymund's arm, another story collection. "He's not very imaginative with titles and knowing they're all about desires, especially the collections, means you can figure things out pretty quickly." 

She walked over to a shelf just with story collections and ran her fingers over the spines. Bunnymund silently read the titles and as Katherine starting listing her facts Sandy floated over to listen.

"He doesn't remember a lot from what happened before he was taken, so it had to have been early in his spirit life. So what he misses are things at his core and those are exactly the things being kept from him. Access to magic, to outside. He misses flying, he misses children and snow and the sky. Also dancing. Wherever he's being kept, I think it's some place small and dark, there's no windows cuz he mentions those a lot."

"So underground."

"I think so, and since we know Jack himself is powerful, whoever has him, and it has to be a spirit for him to be kept away for so long, is even more powerful or got the jump on Jack. Like I said, I don't think he was around for long before he got captured. He might not know how to use his powers. Writing these stories is an outlet for his mind and his magic, since it sounds like it's restricted. The item changes, but I think he has an object that he would ideally channel his magic through."

"Anything else?"

Kathrine hesitated. In addition to details about where he was being held she had an idea of what was happening to him. But the looks of those reading the collection of suicide stories had her hold back on that information. 

"He mentions shadows, so there's limited light, magical or otherwise. His captor likes darkness. I also think when Jack was taken he was in one of the American colonies."

Sandy drew up a flag she didn't recognize and sand fireworks exploded behind it. The light show grabbed the attention of Ombric, Nick, and Toothiana who looked over at them curiously. 

Bunnymund chuckled at her expression of confusion. "The colonies gained their independence almost three hundred years ago. But it does give us a time line and a somewhat narrow scope. Mid to east North America."

"What parts were colonized by the French? Jack writes in English, but he knows a bit about the French culture and language."

"Even narrower. Thanks Katherine." 

"Does that really help? Even if he was taken from there, who ever has him could have moved him."

"Yes, but it's a place to start. Can I take some of the books with me, to read through myself?"

"Sure."

"Which ones do you think would be the most beneficial for me to read, considering we want to find him?"

"Most likely his early stuff. Do you like fantasy or science fiction? Most of his work is of the speculative genre."

"I love a good space opera." Katherine looked up to see Toothiana hovering over them. 

"Not me, I had enough of space. I'll take fantasy, but I'd also like some of the story collections."

Katherine went through the bookshelves, half talking to herself and half talking to the Guardians as she narrowed down their preferences. In the end, amongst the four of them she lent out fifty books. 

"Find him soon, please," she begged her brother. 

"We will." Nick kissed the top of her head.

* * *

The Guardians stayed for a long meal and the brief time allowed for pleasantries and catching up. Soon though, Toothiana and Sandy had to leave to attend to their duties and Nick left too to let Mother Nature know what they had found. Bunnymund asked to stay in Santoff Clauseen and Ombric told him he could. So while the wizard saw the other three Guardians out of the warded town, the Pooka followed Katherine back up the stairs to the library and Jack's Corner. 

"I'd just be reading the books to start with anyway, might as well read them here."

"With the time difference, it would be more effective to read them in your house."

"But you're here, to answer any questions I'll have."

"I guess."

There was only one armchair in the corner, and Bunnymund insisted that Katherine take it while he sat in the window seat, supporting himself against the chair's back. He immediately set to reading, and Katherine did too. She already knew the stories and covers of these books, but it was often that on a fourth or fifth reading she could get more analytical in the information she picked up because the story was no longer new and interesting. The tiny details stuck out more. She'd start rereading all the books, starting from the earliest she had available.

Katherine placed her pick on her chair and then left to grab her notebook from a table elsewhere in the library. Ever since she had started noticing similarities in Jack's tales she had taken notes. 

Notebook, pen, and novel in hand, she started reading, turning out the sounds of Bunnymund's own breath and page turns.

* * *

"Katherine?"

"Hmm?" She pulled herself out of her third book of the day. Only, judging by the light she wasn't reading via sunlight anymore but rather the magical lamps in the ceiling. It was long past dinner.

Strange, there was a plate with a half eaten sandwich next to her. She didn't remember getting it or eating.

"This story collection is all about Jack wanting privacy, what do you make of that?"

Oh yeah, Bunnymund was here reading too.

"What do you?"

"Normally, I'd say it's about someone wishing for space to think or do what they want. Or maybe in this case that Jack's always watched by his captor, but that seems a bit much. Why watch him all the time? Doesn't the spirit have other things to do?"

She didn't answer.

"Katherine?"

"Look," she turned around and stood on her knees on the chair to look down at Bunnymund. The Pooka craned his neck to look at her. "These books, they also hold hints of what Jack's going through. You already know its enough to make him contemplate suicide. Do you really need to know the details?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Katherine felt like an intruder, knowing about Jack's intimate tortures. Having one person know was enough, the Guardians didn't need to know too.

"Because if I know what's happening to him, then I can try to figure out who has him. It's like knowing I like fantasy and Tooth likes science fiction. Different people have different preferences -"

"Even for torture?"

Bunnymund closed his eyes. "Yes. I know you don't leave Santoff Clauseen, but yes. There are spirit out there who revel in this type of thing, and certain forms of it too."

"I know." Katherine slumped down until her forehead rested on the back of the armchair. She heard rather than say Bunnymund shift on the other side of the chair. 

"I don't see things like your or Nick, or like Ombric did. But I do read, Bunnymund. I might not have first hand experience of all the evils of the world, but I know them. In fiction, in history, in textbooks, it's all there. Jack's stories too, and that makes it worse because it's not a retelling of something that happened in the past that he's since escaped from. It's not a made up thing. It's real, he's suffering, and-" her breath hitched.

There had been previous times where she had cried at stories, but Jack's tugged at her heart all the more. She had cried while reading many of them. Today, tonight, whatever time it was, she refused to shed another tear. They wouldn't help her, they wouldn't help Jack. They needed the clues in the books, those would help.

Strong furry arms, wrapped around her and Katherine found herself pulled against Bunnymund's chest. She clung there as she tried to get her emotions under control, Bunnymund rubbing his paws up and down her back.

"I forgot how much one can learn from books."

"A lot."

"Yeah," he gave a low chuckle and let go when she pushed against his chest. 

"Maybe you need a break, it's late, you should go to bed."

Katherine shook her head. "I don't need sleep, I'm a spirit too remember? I've gone longer without and this is important."

"Okay," he nodded. "But I'm still gonna insist on a break. Let's go down to the kitchen, make some tea, maybe see if there are any of those cookies North brought left."

She smiled at him. "I think I could agree to that."

He pulled her too her feet and Katherine grabbed the notebook. She knew Bunnymund would ask sometime tonight about what Jack was going through and she didn't want to voice them, he could read her written thoughts instead.

* * *

Katherine sipped her tea as she watched Bunnymund flip through her notebook on Jack. Despite being a huge reader herself, she had never actively watched others read. Did her eyes move that quickly back and forth too?

There was a lot of stuff that seemed geared to Jack's identity as a winter spirit, no access to nature, a lot of fire. There was also a sensory depravity, though Katherine didn't know if that was a planned torture in and of itself or a result of an underground prison. The lack of privacy Bunnymund had mentioned previously, there were hints of vast periods of being alone followed by moments of unwanted touching. Jack had mentioned pets and kisses, but nothing else. She didn't know if that was because it hadn't happened, happened rarely, or something Jack purposefully eliminated with from his stories because he couldn't handle the thoughts even in a fantasy setting. Beatings, some lately involving a creative use of horses, and a fondness for his captor to use medieval torture devices. That might lead to one spirit or another.

"What's this about drowning?"

Katherine looked at Bunnymund over the top of her mug.

"He talks about drownings and near drownings a lot. It's one of the most frequently used means of torture. That, or asphyxiation. Pillows, hands. You know that thing movies and books do to raise tension, where something happens to a character and you think he's dead for just a moment before they cough or something?"

"Yeah..."

"Every time that happens in Jack's stories it's related to drowning. Not gun shots or magic spells or illness. Drowning."

Bunnymund put down the notebook and took up his mug of tea. If it was like Katherine's, it was lukewarm, but drinkable due to the sugar. Mmm, hibiscus juice. "You think drowning is something special to whoever has him. We could look into evil water spirits, there's Ran, but she's up in Scandinavia. You can say the same thing about Nix. Thing is, if he was taken newly created, he can't have wandered much from where he was created. And if you're right about him having been an American colonist, we're looking for a spirit who hangs out there somewhat regularly. Or had a reason for a one time visit to the colonies. Not many did, not as much people there as Europe or Asia."

Katherine shifted in her seat.

"You don't agree with me."

"It's just, I think drowning is Jack's thing, not his captor's. Sometimes it's related to the character in captivity, sometimes not. It's a fear Jack had before he was taken, but this person found that out and is using it against him."

The mug slipped from Bunnymund's paws, shattering and sending tea all over the table. Cursing, Katherine rescued her notebook and sent a glare the Pooka's way as she tried to absorb the tea from the pages with the hem of her dress. It wasn't working, so she got up to grab the towel on the kitchen counter behind them. When she returned to the table, Bunnymund was picking up the ceramic pieces. 

"What was that about?" She huffed, worried about her pages. Oh, she hoped the ink didn't run too bad. She knew all the information already, but it helped to have things down on paper to stimulate new thoughts. 

"That's what I would like to know." They turned to find Ombric standing in the doorway. Like them, he was still dressed and showed signs of pouring over books for hours. 

"Katherine said something that makes me think I know who has Jack Frost."

"What did I say?"

"That his captor knows his fears."

"He's had Jack for years, it was only a matter of time before he found them out."

"But it's in the first book, I just finished reading it."

Right. How could she had forgotten that? The princess struggles in the dragon's talons when she's first taken and is dropped in a lake they were flying over. 

"Jack's fear wasn't found by trial and error, it was known." Bunnymund shared a look with Ombric and Katherine felt as if she was missing something. 

"What does that mean?"

"Katherine," Ombric answered. "There's only one spirit who can read the fear of others. Pitch Black."

* * *

"I'm coming too!" Katherine demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. Behind her Kailash honked that he would be coming as well.

"Katherine, it's too dangerous." Ombric and Bunnymund stood opposite her, Big Root behind them while behind her was the path leading to the one exit from Santoff Claussen. 

"I faced him before." She lifted her chin, but inside she wavered. When Pitch had tried to get to Santoff Claussen before, she had been calm and collected. But she hadn't actually fought him. Nightlight had, who wasn't here anymore. Nick had, and she had seen those injuries. She had helped from the sidelines.

Last time, she had been torn. On one hand she had been a child and felt the need to stay with her friends, wanted to stay safe. On the other she had felt a desire to help in anyway she could, something Ombric had later called feelings of responsibility and commitment, things adults did because they had to protect things important to them.

It had been centuries since then. She was no longer a child. 

Katherine may not have the magical strength of Ombric or the fighting skills of her brother, but she had knowledge and knowledge was power. Plus, this was Jack.

"Not like this," Ombric said.

"Ombric," Bunnymund said and the Atlantean turned on him. 

"Don't you dare, Katherine is my girl and she's my responsibility. My answer is no."

"Please," she begged, to both of them. Ombric to change his mind and Bunnymund to continue fighting in her behalf.

"She can just provide support, like before."

That was not what she wanted, but if it got her foot in the portal...

"Fine." Ombric turned to face her. "We're just going to tell Nick what we know though, so no point in you coming. If something pops up later, we'll come get you before we leave the Pole."

"Nu-uh. I know you. You'd 'forget' to send for me or blame it on not having time. I'm coming now."

"Katherine."

"Father." They stared at each other and then Katherine sighed deeply. Kailash looped his head over her shoulder and she reached a hand up to scratch the side of his head before looking her father in the eye.

"I know Jack, I do," she insisted, cutting off Ombric's protest before it could begin. "And I care deeply for him. I've been reading his stories for years and years and we're kindred spirits. I can help him. I need to help him. Please."

Ombric looked back at Bunnymund, who just shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, you can come. But you will listen to instructions!"

* * *

Nick wasn't expecting them, if the cookie crumbs in his beard was anything to go on. Kathrine hid her giggle as he brushed them off and took his feet off the table. She noted he had been reading one of Jack's novels.

"What are you all here for? You found something?"

"Pretty sure Pitch has him."

"Tchaikovsky! Pitch Black? Why?"

"Does it matter? We just have to find him and save Jack Frost."

"Hmm." They all watched as Nick paced back and forth. "No one has heard from Pitch since the Dark Ages."

Well, Katherine thought, that explained the fondness of medieval torture devices. 

"He's fond of tunnels, if I remember." Ombric said. "Does anyone remember where they opened up?"

"One was in what is now the American Midwest." Bunnymund said.

"Is it still there?"

"No idea."

"Let's see if others do." He pressed the button to activate the aurora. 

While they waited, Katherine sipped eggnog and nibbled on an oatmeal cookie while she talked to Nick. Like Ombric, he was worried about her being there, but didn't do anything to stop her. She might externally be forever seventeen, but she had aged and matured in her thinking and through process. She knew her limits.

Roughly thirty minutes later, the remaining Guardians had arrived. As well as, to Katherine's surprise, Mother Nature. She had never meet the manifestation of Earth before and so kept her distance. Mother Nature radiated power, both that of the Earth and her magical strength of who she had been before agreeing to become Earth's medium. 

"You have news?" Mother Nature seemed anxious to get Jack back, almost as much as Katherine. He much be important to the balance of nature. 

"We're pretty sure Pitch Black has him." Bunnymund announced. 

Mother Nature flamed up. Literally. Flames erupted form her clenched fists and smoke came out of her ears. The sent of burning hair filled the room. "I'm going to kill him."

Toothiana flew over to calm her down. "Now, now, don't get hasty. He's your-"

"If you say 'father' I'll kill you too. The man who used to be Pitch Black might have been the father of the woman I used to be, but neither of us are those people now. I'm am the Earth, and by holding Jack Frost he's been disrupting nature. The winds are a mess! I haven't had to step in personally this often since the Atlantic Ocean was half the size it is now."

Katherine made a note to ask Ombric about the history of Pitch Black and Mother Nature, that was a story she had only heard hints of for too long. It should be recorded properly. She stepped forward and Mother Nature turned to face her.

"Who are you?"

"Katherine. And I was going to say if you wanted to kill Pitch, I second it."

"Katherine!" Ombric said, shocked.

"The things he's done to Jack," she shook, fists at her side. "They're horrible. We have to find him and save him."

"We have to find him first," Bunnymund said. "What do we remember of his old haunts?" He looked to Sandy and he answered with a sand sculpture of Atlas. 

"I've always kept tabs on his activity," Mother Nature said. "Especially when he was making tunnels in the Earth. I can feel that, even if it's dull and faint. He usually did something or other to his lair every two hundred years or so, but nothing in the past....three centuries?" She sounded unsure, and Katherine remembered what Nick said about her perception of time. Days and months were beyond her, she thought in decades. 

"About how long we figure Jack Frost has been missing. Do you know where?"

Mother Nature shook her head, then paused. "I have never been able to locate his lair itself, just note when he changes the rock it's in and when he makes or closes tunnels to the surface. He made one about the time he disappeared. I can't tell you where, but I can take you to the area. It's been too long for me to remember the exact spot."

"What are we waiting for, let's go! To the sleigh!"

Ombric made an effort to stop Katherine from following, but she jumped into line behind Nick and Kailash was right behind her. She heard him sigh, but he didn't voice any other complaint.

"Phil, go tack up reindeer."

By the time they reached the sleigh launch, the yeti had the reindeer hitched and the tunnel clear. Katherine had seen it before and so didn't take the time to ogle the vehicle, but she did wonder how they would all fit. Four Guardians, Ombric, herself, Mother Nature. And then Kailash because she was not leaving the goose behind.

Of course, she momentarily forgot that Ombric had helped make Nick's sack for Christmas presents and the same spells had been put on the spell. Despite it not visually expanding, they all fit on the stadium seats without a problem. 

Nick lashed the reins and out they went, Bunnymund and Kailash making similar sounding squawks that had Katherine giggle. Once they had finished with the tunnel of loop-di-loops and were in the air above the workshop, Nick turned to Mother Nature. "What way?"

"Oh, I'll take care of that." She put one hand on the reins, another on the side of the sleigh and closed her eyes. There was a jerking sensation under Katherine's ribs, as if she felt like she needed to hiccup but wasn't going to, and then they were in the air above a city.

The sleigh dropped a few feet before the reindeer got their feet on the air. 

"You should have said you would teleport us." Nick chastised. 

"I thought it was obvious."

Katherine leaned over the side of the sleigh, staring down in wonder. Santoff Claussen was small. From a similar position, it would appear as a small cluster. This city though was so large Katherine had to turn her head to see it all. She leaned over the side, following a pair of moving lights as it went under the sleigh and Toothiana caught her by the back of her jacket. 

"Careful."

"Sorry, it's just...so big and beautiful! Is this the biggest city in the world?"

Toothiana gave a little laugh. "Oh no, this one is decent sized, but it's by no means the biggest city."

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure what the locals call it," Mother Nature admitted. 

Sandy tugged on Katherine's arm and conjured up a large bell over his head. It meant nothing to her, but Bunnymund nodded. "Philadelphia. Pitch found Jack Frost near here??"

"Not exactly. Like I said, I don't remember the exact location and as I never visited it I just know the sensation of where on the Earth Pitch last opened a tunnel to the surface. Consider this a starting point. I never felt the tunnel close, so it must still be open for us to use, and would be no more that five, six hundred miles from here."

"In what direction?"

Mother Nature shrugged. "Any. I leave you to find him, I have other things to do, but please continue to keep me informed." With the sound of rustling leaves, she was gone. 

"Okay, let's split up." Toothiana said. "North, South, East, and West. If you find anything, let the other know."

"How?" Katherine asked. She didn't have much in terms of magic powers.

"Tooth," Ombric said, "I'm assuming you have fairies in the town below?"

"Yes."

"Let's use them as couriers. One for each other us."

"Great idea!"

Nick took over while Toothiana set about gathering fairies. "Ombric cannot fly, so he will be in sleigh with me and Bunny."

"Hold up there mate, I'll be better on the ground where I can test for tunnels."

Nick nodded. "Bunny, you go west. Ombric and I will go north. Sandy, east. And Kathrine, you and Toothy check the south."

She nodded and climbed onto Kailash's back. The goose hopped onto the edge of the sleigh and jumped off. She heard a sound of protest from Ombric, but Kailash spread his wings and caught the wind. By the time she had spiraled up again on a thermal, Toothiana was back and assigning fairies with a Guardian. 

"Remember," Ombric told her before they split up. "stay out of sight of children. Don't get too close to the humans, and listen to Tooth."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "I will. You and Nick don't get too distracted talking inventions and magic to remember to look for a tunnel." She waved goodbye to her father, and then set off to join Toothiana in their search.

* * *

Kathrine's plan for rescuing Jack had been:

Tell Ombric what she learned from reading Jack's books. Convince him to let her search. Search. Rescue Jack. 


Obviously, one and two had been amended, but she was on track. The problem was the searching part involved finding something. And she and Toothiana hadn't found anything.

Well, more like Toothiana hadn't found anything. The tunnel was on the ground, and most of where they searched wasn't open farm land. They had no idea how big the opening was, it could fit under a bush or be the size of the sleigh, and in this terrain they had to be close-ish to the ground to spot anything. Kailash was a bit too big for that. 

"Just fly above the tree tops, spotting me. Watch my back while I skim the ground and keep an eye out for anything unusual."

And so Katherine passed the night straining her eyes, looking down at the royal hues of Toothiana's feather and trying to see into shadows. When she noticed Toothiana flying up towards her, she told Kailash to stop.

"What's going on?" she asked as Toothiana settled in the air next to her. 

"It's almost dawn. We should head back."

"But Jack's still out there!"

"I know. But we can't do anything during the day, the risks of being seen are too great, and I'm tired. I haven't flown this much in a night for centuries."

"But-"

"We can't search until we drop Katherine, we might miss something if we're not fully alert."

She sagged, but nodded. How many times had she told Ombric the same thing when he spent weeks awake working on a project? How many times had she reread a paragraph at four in the morning, because she couldn't remember what happened at it's beginning?

"What about the others?"

"The fairy with North and Ombric came back to me, they're heading back to the North Pole. Sandy will most likely start weaving dreams on the other side of the planet, and Bunny no doubt will take a nap in the Warren and see to his eggs for a bit. We'll search again tomorrow. Did you want to go to the Pole, or come to the Palace with me?"

Katherine lit up. "Could I? I've heard so much about it, but never actually seen it."

Toothiana laughed. "Of course. Come on, follow me."

* * *

It was night eight of their search and her and Toothiana, that is, Tooth as she had insisted Katherine call her when she first got to the Palace, were searching farm land. It was dark with freshly plowed soil and the lack of trees and open spaces meant Kailash could fly at the same altitude as Tooth. 

"Anything?" Tooth asked as they met up over a farmhouse.

Katherine shook her head no. 

In the almost two weeks since the Guardians had come to Santoff Clauseen to ask about Jack, he hadn't started another story. She had checked the library that afternoon just in case. It make Katherine worried, especially since the last one had been a collection of stories about suicide. 

What if they were too late?

Katherine would never forgive herself if that was the case. Jack had been trapped for three hundred yeas, why couldn't she had noticed that ten years ago? Or even one? Why had it taken her so long to realize the themes were not just things important to him, but his actual life?

There was a bright light and from a portal above them Nick's sleigh appeared with Nick and Ombric on it. 

"Climb on," her brother said. "Bunny might have found something."

She didn't have to be told twice.

* * *

After using the portals to pick up Sandy too, Nick told the snow globe to take them to Bunnymund. They popped up in a small park running up against a small town. The others immediately started asking Bunnymund questions, she heard something about sensing darkness and seeing a fearling in the area, but what caught Katherine's attention was the pond a few meters away. 

Drownings were important to Jack, she knew that, but looking at the sight before her that wasn't what came to mind. No, what did was the small cliff behind the pond. It was maybe fifteen feet, more a pile of rocks than a true cliff, but it took up an entire side of the pond. That formation was repeated often in Jack's works. A pond, or lake, with cliffs nearby. All the rivers traveled were in canyons, with rock faces on either side. Even ocean coasts and harbors included cliffs nearby. It was very possible that the inspiration for all of them was this bit of land. 

"Katherine? Katherine!"

"Hmm?" She turned around to find Ombric standing behind her, frowning. 

"You should pay attention to your surroundings."

"I was. It's those cliffs," she waved a hand at them.

"What about them?" Bunnymund asked, hopping over. 

"I think Jack knows them."

"So he's been here." He looked around the park with new eyes.

"Probably more than once, or for a long time. He's familiar with this pond at any rate."

"Chance that tunnel opening is around here is high then," Nick said. "Night is still young, and Manny is bright tonight. Maybe we can find Jack Frost tonight."

Sandy conjured up an image of Earth and a question mark. Should they contact Mother Nature?

"We will wait until we find tunnel."

They spread out, walking along the ground in spokes from the pond. Kailash kept pace with her nosing at low shrubs as the walked along. Katherine came up short as they came to small hill. There was a road, and then houses. She hadn't realized they were so close to a town. As it was, she doubted the tunnel entrance would be among the houses. Katherine turned around to head back to the pond when the fairy with her squeaked and pointed to her sister coming at them. It wasn't difficult to understand she was to follow them so Katherine took off at a jog. 

They led her to Sandy and Nick, who were standing besides an old wooden bed frame, support boards split and missing. Even as she arrived, so did the others.

"Belly says, this is it. Toothy, send a fairy to Mother Nature."

Katherine absently watched Tooth relay instructions, then leaned over to look into the hole under the bed. It was wide enough for Nick, but a bit narrow for Kailash, and pitch dark. With the moon as bright as it was, she should have be able to see down a little bit, see the rock walls, but she couldn't.

She remembered a tale of the Boogieman living under beds, but she hadn't expected that to be quite so literal.

"Katherine, you stay here."

"What? No!"

"You said you'd listen to me. I'm ordering you to stay put." Ombric shook a finger at her. "Pitch Black is a powerful spirit and you have no fighting abilities. Stay up here with the fairies and wait for Mother Nature."

She crossed her arms with a huff, knowing there was no arguing with that tone. Bunnymund clapped a paw on her shoulder. 

"He just worries about you. You're safer up here."

"But I need to help Jack! I-"

"Unless one of his books involved a detailed map of Pitch's lair, you can't help with this part. You can help later, once we have him free."

Katherine wilted, understanding his logic. "Okay."

Bunnymund patter her shoulder and jumped down the tunnel after Nick.

* * *

An hour had passed, and still no sign of Mother Nature. With her odd way of noticing time, she would probably show up in ten years. Additionally, she hadn't heard anything from the Guardians. No sounds of fighting, no shouts of them being okay or a little fairy messenger. In fact, half the of fairies Tooth had left with her had left, collecting teeth from nearby towns. Of the rest, they were nestled into Kailash's feathers and all of them were napping, the goose letting out an odd honk or two.

Katherine paced. This inactivity was driving her mad, and she kept sending glances to the bed and the tunnel underneath. What if the Guardians needed help? What if they were lost in the tunnels? She might not know how to fight, not really, but she had a perfect memory and her ink magic meant she could create an accurate map of the tunnels if she explored them.

Besides, she knew Jack in ways the Guardians didn't. She might be the only one able to get him out of there. 

She looked up at the moon, seeking advice, and it just sat there in the sky. Manny didn't send a message. With a sigh, Katherine flopped to the ground, arms spread to either side. She wanted to be doing something!

Her left pinkie tingled and when Katherine turned her head she saw it was in a moonbeam. The rest of the beam was illuminating the tunnel, and while the normal moonlight hadn't been able to penetrate the shadows this concentrated form could. Roots stuck out from the side and the dirt was packed hard.

A moonbeam order from Manny trumped one from Ombric any day. She smiled up at the moon and then jumped down into the tunnel.

She fell for a lot longer than she expected. When she hit the ground, she stumbled and her ankle twinged. No time to worry about that now. From her jacket, she pulled out a quill and notebook with which to draw her map. But first things first, time to put the bit of magic she knew to use.

"Mabrat matow," a small ball of light formed over her head. It destroyed her night vision and hastily she ordered it to dim. The light went from yellow to red, enough to see by and hopefully dim enough to not be spotted from far off. Now came the part she hadn't really planned for - picking a direction. 

She knew she wouldn't get lost, she'd always be able to find her way back to this spot, but that didn't mean she'd actually find Jack, or the Guardians in this maze. Or avoid Pitch and whatever else was down here.

Suddenly, despite the moon's blessing, Katherine wasn't sure of her decision to jump down the hole. She hadn't even told Kailash where she was going. And she didn't have the power to fly up that shaft. One of the Guardians would have to help her, or she'd have to find a different exit.

No helping it now, she was here. What way should she go? There wasn't much to distinguish on choice from another, the shaft had dropped her in the middle of a tunnel heading in opposite direction. The air was stifling, no breeze at all.

A faint sound came from her left.

She whipped her head toward it, not sure if it was a friendly sound or not. 

It came again, but she still couldn't determine if it was a sound she wanted to head towards or away, it was too far away. Well, the characters in books went towards adventures, even those in Jack's. She headed left.

The sounds got louder and she could pick out different voices and the clash of metal. A fight then. The Guardians? Or Pitch tormenting Jack again?

The latter though had her jogging forward, at least until she could make out individual voice and then she switched to tip toeing for stealth. There was light coming from an opening and Katherine quickly dismissed her spell.

Pressing herself against the wall, she stuck her head into the light.

It was a cavern, of a sort. Instead of a large open space, the upper regions and sides were filled with staircases and stone arches. Some were upside down, some lead nowhere, all provided deep shadows. The Guardians were dispersed among them, fight Pitch Black who was using the shadows to his advantage. 

He was putting up a better fight than she imagined, considering what he looked like the last time Katherine had seen him. Then again, he drew strength and power from feeding off of fear and he'd been feasting on Jack Frost for centuries. Was that why he had been taken?

Katherine cringed and retreated into the shadows as Nick was thrown into the air towards her. There a sound of clanking metal. Nick roared and went back into the fray. Katherine peaked her head out again and looked up. 

Cages. Iron cages. And just like the small cliff outside they called to her. Jack, she was sure, had spent time in them. 

She searched the frantically, thinking Jack might be in one now, but they were empty. It was a clue though that they were in the right place. Jack had been taken by Pitch Black and he was in the tunnels. Katherine vowed he wouldn't spend another day here.

Looking back towards the fight, she noticed the Guardians and Ombric looked tired. They were panting and Ombric seemed to have a limp. Pitch was putting up a good fight, but he was retreating into shadows more often than attacking, on the defense, and only really had the element of surprise on his side. He used it well, almost knocking Tooth from the air as he fell on her from a shadow above her.

Katherine knew Ombric had been right before, entering a fight with Pitch was not a good idea. But since he was distracted, now was the perfect time to search the rest of the tunnel system. She cast her eyes around the cavern, looking for tunnels opening on a level with her because there was no way she could get to some of those openings amongst the eschewed stairs.

Might as well be systematic and go for the first one first. 

To her right was a staircase, twenty steps that simply ended at a platform even with a hanging cage. Under it was a stone arch that led to a tunnel. Katherine crept along the wall, crouched and small, keeping an eye on the battle.

Bunnymund saw her, she could tell by his eyes going wide and his aggressive launch at Pitch when the Boogieman made to turn around. Katherine took the opportunity to sprint in the mouth of the tunnel, only stopping when the light was dim enough she had to recast her own.

She wasn't too sure if having someone know she was down there was a good thing or not. One of them was bound to try to convince her to return to the surface and she wasn't about to do that. Not without Jack. 

Katherine trotted down the tunnel, covering ground quickly. Who knew how long the battle would take, and with how much space was down here she didn't want to go at a walking pace and take days to fill out her map. She dictated the drawings as she went along, looking at the markings from time to time. There were a lot of alcoves off this tunnel: an underground spring, a few prison cells with skeletons, and several rooms containing large instruments of torture. A rack in one, an iron maiden, a room full of flogs, another with axes and swords. The smell of old blood filled the air, and Katherine figured she knew exactly who it belonged to.

She paused, coming to an intersection of three new tunnels.

"Jack Frost?" Katherine called out, not really expecting an answer. She didn't get one. What she did get as a waft of hot air from the left most one. 

They were deep underground, there shouldn't be a breeze. Moving air, no matter how hot, meant something to cause it. An opening? No, that would be cool air. What produced hot air? 

Fire.

Pitch used fire and heat to hurt Jack.

Katherine started running.

"Jack! Jack!" No answer but the sound of her pounding footsteps. 

The heat was getting unbearable, sweat running down her front and back. As far as spirits went, she didn't have any elemental tendencies. She reacted as a typical human. Jack wouldn't. He was of winter and ice. How long had this fire been going? At least as long as the battle with Pitch. Over an hour then. She would have been hard press to last that long.

"Jack! Jack!"

There was light ahead, the flickering orange and red of firelight. She dismissed her light spell as she burst into the room.

It was small, circular, with a fire pit in the middle of the stone. For a fire that size to be so hot, it had to be magical. Above the fire was an iron table, glowing a dim brown from the heat, and chained to it was a naked boy.

"Jack!" Katherine sobbed, looking around the room for something, anything to either put the fire out or undo the chains. 

There was a fire poker near the door. Katherine quickly pulled her hair into a bun and tied it, getting the sweaty strands out of her face, and then marched towards the table with the poker in hand. She had read physics books, she just needed to find a weak point of the chains.

It was hot, and while she was dripping sweat as if she had just come out of a rain storm, Jack's skin was dry. A very bad sign. She'd worry about that later, first she had to get Jack off the table. 

Her only choice with the poker was to use it as a fulcrum to detach the chain from either Jack or the table. His wrists looked too weak and Katherine didn't want to hurt him. Instead, she stuck the tip of the poker in the thick chain link welded to the side of the iron table and used her body weight to force it down. 

After more time than she would have liked, the one side of the link snapped off. Quickly, Katherine slipped the chain from the loop and then wrapped the metal around Jack's arm, tucking the end into the cuff on his wrist. The chains could come completely off later, now she just had to get Jack off the table and make sure she didn't trip on the chains during their return to the to the shaft.

Quickly, Katherine did the same for the other three chains. Jack hadn't moved during the entire procedure aside from the shallow rises of his chest. Acutely aware that the next step involved carrying a naked boy, Katherine tore off her jacket and wrapped him in it. Then, grabbing him under the arms, she pulled him off the table.

Jack still didn't stir and Katherine was getting really worried. She dragged him backwards into the tunnel, recasting her light as they went. When they reached the intersection where she had first felt the fire heat he laid Jack gently on ground to give him a once over.

"Jack? Jack?" she patted his check, hoping for a response, but she didn't get one. She pulled down her coat and pressed an ear to his chest to hear a faint heartbeat. His skin was warm against her skin, beyond feverish to the feeling of a kettle full of boiling water. Katherine had to cool him down. She wanted to throw him in a snowbank, wake up him up with the double pleasure of coldness and snow, but there was none down here. Just...that underground spring a few alcoves back.

She didn't want to dunk Jack in water, well acquainted with his history towards it, but there wasn't any choice. With a grunt, she lifted Jack up and slung one of his arms around her shoulders. Katherine walked as fast as she dared with Jack and when they reached the spring did her best to lower him in gently. She made her his head stayed above water, leaning back against a rock cushioned by her jacket. 

Katherine strained her ears for any sound, someone coming their way or the fight still going on. Nothing. She looked back at Jack and let out a huge rush of breath. She had done it, she had rescued Jack Frost. Well, almost, they still had to get back to the shaft and up it somehow.

Jack hadn't moved, and now away from the fire Katherine took the time to look at him. She had thought the pink tinge to his skin before was the result of the light from her spell, but now she was certain it was a burn from the table. The side of his face that had been pressed against it was pinker than the other and pushing him a bit forward to look at his back showed it redder than his front. There were also a wide array of blisters. While his hands and feet were in the water, Katherine wouldn't be surprised if they were red and blistered too. Pitch had made sure his soles and palms had been facing the iron.

Katherine scooped her hand into the water, glad it was cold, and brought a handful to Jack's shoulders to cool the skin not under water. The water wasn't very deep, so that sitting it covered Jack's chest up to a hand width below his collar bone. It was enough for Katherine to see scars and guess that the rest of his chest as well as the rest of his body, was covered in scar tissue.

She let out a sob and used her damp fingers to brush a lock of white hair out of Jack's face. He looked so very young by human standards, and she knew he had been taken young by spirit ones. To have your life defined and shaped by the things Pitch had done to him...she shuddered. 

Taking a handful of water, she dumped it over Jack's head and used her other hand to shield his eyes from the dripping water. She repeated the action a few times. "I'm sorry I took so long to find you."

The head under her hand shifted and Katherine quickly backed away. Jack was awake, looking at her with eyes the same color the books glowed as they were written. They looked at her, wide and young. 

"Hey, Jack." She reached a hand forward and he flinched backwards. Katherine returned to sitting on her heels. 

"I'm Katherine. I've been reading your books."

Not answer, but he was watching her warily. 

"I've read all of them, from The Dragon's Princess to your most recent story collection, Peace. My favorite was The Siren, one about the mermaid who didn't like water. Do you remember writing that one?"

He frowned, obviously confused, but allowed her to scoot forward a fraction. Katherine kept her hands in her lap as she continued talking. "From your books, I knew you were trapped and needed help. So I came with some friends to rescue you."

There was the sound of a shout and Katherine jumped to her feet, staring out of the alcove. She didn't know who made the sound, and no second one followed. "Stay here," she hissed at Jack and crept out towards the large cavern where the fighting had been earlier. Katherine hopped the shout hadn't been from Pitch coming towards them, the only thing she'd be able to do was run and lead him away from Jack.

As she approached the cavern, there was a lump on the floor in the tunnel mouth.

"Katherine?" it asked and she dosed her light on instinct until she realized the voice belonged to Tooth.

"Tooth! Are you hurt?" 

"Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure."

"Then why are you on the floor?"

"Faking it." She smiled at her and Katherine smiled back. She could see cuts and scrapes on her friend's body, and one of her wing joints looked a bit swollen, but nothing too serious. "Bunny saw you, and so we've been drawing out the battle to keep Pitch distracted. What do you think you're doing, coming down here alone?"

Katherine brushed aside the question. "I found Jack. He's barely in condition to walk, let alone run. We need to get him to Santoff Claussen so Ombric can take care of him."

"No problem. Ombric managed to prevent Pitch from sinking into shadows with a spell shortly after you showed up. We've just been buying time and it's driving Pitch crazy."

"Serves him right." Katherine said, surprised by the steal in her voice.

"Go back to Jack. We'll wrap this up and come get you."

"We're in a small alcove off this tunnel, a thousand meters or so down in a straight line."

Tooth nodded and then activated her wings. She shot into the air with a battle cry and while Katherine didn't see her land a strike on Pitch, she heard his shout of pain. She headed back down the tunnel.

As she approached the spring she heard a splashing noise and the chink of chains. In alarm, she ran into the alcove. "Jack?" she frantically called out, cursing herself as she realized she had left him in the dark. Jack wasn't a fan. In the weak light of her ball of light, she could see that Jack was no longer in the water. Nor was her coat on the rock. 

She turned in a circle, eyes searching, and found Jack hunched up against the wall besides the opening explaining why Katherine hadn't seen him when she entered. 

"Jack, you scared me. Are you feeling better?"

His answer was a pair of narrowed eyes. 

"The Guardians and my dad are almost done fighting Pitch. Then they can help us out of here."

"P-prove it." Jack's voice was hoarse and dry, the words clumsy in his mouth as if he hadn't uttered a word in a long time. Katherine supposed that Pitch preferred hearing Jack's screams then conversation, the only time he had used words was in mentally writing his stories.

"The Guardians will show up any second, you'll see."

"P-prove that this is...real...and not an...illusion."

"What would Pitch never do? I'll do it to prove I'm not him."

He stared at her from his position on the floor, wrapped up in her coat. She wanted to wrap him up in a hug but had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate it. Instead Katherine stood there watching him as he thought of something for him to do. The books had given hints of mind games, but nothing along the lines of illusions. Maybe he thought this was one of his internal fantasies?

"Let me punch you...and you don't punch back."

Katherine hesitated. She'd never been punched in her life. "Isn't the fact that you're wearing my coat and I helped cool you down evidence enough?" Showing kindness under the guise of future hurts, oh if the Guardians weren't in the process of giving Pitch a trashing she'd be giving him one herself even if all she would have to hurt him with was boots pulled off her feet.

"No," he rasped.

"Okay than," Katherine sighed and sunk to her knees to be at Jack's level. He stared at her, as if not believing that yes, he was allowed to punch her, before shuffling towards her to be close enough for a punch. Katherine noted he shuffled on his hip bone, not his rear, and pushed himself forward with the bones of his ankles and knuckles instead of his hands and feet. They must be pretty badly burned.

Once he was next to her, he raised a fist and swung. It hit her in the face and she cried out. Not from pain, because Jack's punch was pitifully weak, but surprise. She hadn't actually thought he'd go through with it. 

True to her word, Katherine didn't punch back. Instead, she put her hand to her cheek. It didn't even smart, but there was something wet on her face. She pulled her fingers back and saw blood. It wasn't from her face. Katherine looked at the blood, confused, then at Jack's hand. Blood was seeming from his palm between his bony fingers and from underneath the iron shackle.

"If you look in the pockets, you'll fine gloves. They'll help protect your hands."

"Can you...help put them...on?"

"Of course!" She beamed. Moving slowly as to not startle or hurt him, Katherine first slipped the gloves out of the pockets and then onto Jack's hands. "Can you walk? I had to drag you here before, but even though you're awake now your feet look pretty bad."

"I've had worse."

Katherine imagined so and took that to mean yes, he could walk out if he had to.

"Katherine?" Tooth's voice called out. 

She started to scramble to her feet, but Jack's grip on her shirt had her stay sitting. "In here," she called out. 

Katherine saw the light first, Ombric must have cast a light spell too and his light wasn't a dim red but rather a welcoming yellow. Bunnymund came in first, boomerangs ready, followed by Tooth, Sandy, Ombric, and then Nick.

"My staff!" Jack said, reaching towards Ombric from behind Katherine.

"I had a feeling this was yours. Why else would Pitch have an item of wind magic?" He held the staff out to Jack and Katherine noted it had a hook like curve at the top. In her father's hands, it was just a piece of dry wood, but as soon as Jack touched it frost appeared around his hands. It melted quickly, but Katherine guessed that when Jack was at full strength the entire staff would frost up at his touch.

Either Jack trusted Katherine that these were her friends come to help or returning his staff was also something Pitch wouldn't do, but Jack seemed to let go of a bit of tension. He was still on edge, but Katherine didn't blame him, In his position, she'd be on edge for decades after being rescued.

"Pitch is taken care of?" she asked.

"Yes," Nick answered. "He will not be bothering us for awhile."

"Good. You hear that Jack? You're free now." She turned to gingerly take his gloved hands in hers. Jack gave her a closed mouth smile in return. 

"I'm assuming Katherine, you have a map to get us out of here?" Ombric asked.

"Ah, yes." She pulled out her notebook. "I can get us to the shaft we dropped down, but I'm sure you remember it was long drop. We'll have to figure out how to get up it."

Sandy wiggled his fingers at her. Right, sand clouds for the non-flyers.

"Let's get going, I don't want to stay down here a minute longer than necessary." Katherine stood up and reached down to help Jack up by his wrists, mindful of his hands. He winced and wobbled upon standing, walking on burns had to be painful, but didn't make a sound of protest.

It didn't matter, the Guardians noticed any way.

"What's wrong?" Bunnymund asked, hopping forward. Jack cringed away into Katherine's side and Bunnymund backed off. Jack relaxed a little, looking ashamed at his reaction.

"The bottom of my feet...they're burned."

"I will carry you!" But Nick's stride toward him also sent Jack flinching back.

"It's okay, they won't hurt you." Katherine insisted.

"I know, but..." But old habits died hard, and if every touch for roughly the past three hundred years caused pain it made sense that Jack would react that way for awhile.

"Give it time," Tooth said with a soft smile. "We're in no hurry. But it would be best if you don't walk on your feet."

"Sandy, can you help?"

The golden Guardian nodded and formed two shapes out of dream sand, a whale and a giant bird. Katherine smirked, someone had been reading Jack's stories. Jack pointed to the whale and the bird dispersed into sand. The whale swam over and then settled on the ground low enough to allow Jack to step over it's back. He did so with Katherine's help and at his nod the whale floated up. 

"Here, let me get those." Jack flinched as Ombric touched his ankle, but stared in wonder as the shackle melted away. The wizard quickly took care of the rest of the chains.

"This way," Katherine said, following the map her magic had drawn while she wandered the tunnels earlier. Based on the glow on the paper, Jack and the dreamwhale were right behind her with the Guardians falling in line behind them. When the entered the cavern with the hanging cages Katherine looked around for a sign of Pitch, laying broken on a staircase perhaps. She didn't see any sign and had a feeling if she asked for details, she wouldn't get them. Jack, she noted, kept his gaze on his gloves fisted around his staff on the whale's back and didn't look around. 

It didn't take that long to get to the shaft. Sandy went up first, bringing Katherine with him. She was greeted by a honking Kailash and frantic fairies who had obviously been upset to wake up from their nap and find her missing. The sun was almost fully risen, she had been in Pitch's lair for awhile. Still no sign of Mother Nature, not that she expected one.

Katherine calmed them down with words and feather strokes, apologizing for leaving without warning. Kailash was halfway through an inspection for bruises and other more serious injuries when Jack still astride the dreamwhale came out of the tunnel. He squinted at the sun, as if the light was painful. It might be, he hadn't seen sunlight for nigh three hundred years. 

Kailash gave a honk of greeting, already knowing who Jack was. Jack gazed at him with wide eyes. 

"This is Kailash," Katherine said, "my Himalayan Goose. We go flying together." To prove her point, she mounted Kailash's back. The goose waddled over to Jack and started nosing at the whale until he got sand in his beak and then sneezed it out. Jack smiled.

"You can't fly...on your own then?"

"No. And while I know you can, I wouldn't recommend it quite yet."

"How do you...know that?"

She smiled at him. "I told you, I read your books and through them I learned all about you. It's nice to finally meet you in person. Now, come on," she noted everyone else was out of the hole. "You wanted to see snow, right? I know a place full of it."

* * *

Jack was so taken with the winter weather at Nick's Workshop that Ombric allowed them to stay for a night before heading to Santoff Claussen. It would be the best place for Jack to heal, where Ombric had all his healing ointments and herbs and perhaps the presence of wards would have Jack not constantly looking over his shoulder. 

Katherine could tell Jack wanted to do more than just lay back in a snow bank and look at the sky, but he wasn't capable of much else. She itched, leaving him alone out there, but Ombric and Nick both told her he needed space and so she satisfied herself with a window seat. 

She worried and there was nothing wrong with that.

"Bunny!" Nick boomed and Katherine lifted her eyes from Jack's spread eagle position in the snow to the window reflection in of the events behind her. Bunnymund had gone to personally collect Mother Nature. She seemed to think she was right on time, and not hours late for the rescue mission.

"Did you really have to send Aster seconds after that little fairy?"

"I came hours later. We sent the fairy when we found the tunnel entrance, and I came after we rescued Jack and brought him here."

"You've already rescued him? And Pitch Black?"

There was a pause in the conversation behind her. 

"Like I said before, he is no longer my father. Tell me."

She caught the reflection of Ombric flick in her direction, indicating they didn't want to give out details in Katherine's presence. Like she had told Bunnymund before while they were looking through Jack's stories in Big Root, she wasn't as young and unaware of things as other spirits assumed. She actually wanted to hear about the horrible end of Pitch Black.

Outside, Jack was sitting up and she expected he was planning on coming in. To save the older spirits trouble, Katherine got up from her seat and headed towards the doors to outside.

She met Jack in the doorway. "I thought you were going to stay out there longer."

"I wanted to but...the moonlight hurts my eyes. And the feeling of cold against my skin, as pleasant as it is, is a but much."

Katherine noted he also picked at the clothes Nick had found for him. None of Nick's pants were small enough, but his spare nightshirt was long enough to act like a dress. Ombric had cut the hem and Jack still tripped over it.

Centuries with no light, with feeling nothing against his skin but Pitch's hands and instruments of torture, Katherine was impressed Jack wasn't going crazy with over stimulation. 

"Come on, I'm hungry and I you could use something to eat." Not much for now of course, maybe just a piece of bread. Spirits couldn't die from starvation, but a lack of food made them week and Jack had gone longer without than she had ever heard before.

He followed after her to the kitchen.

* * *

"You're telling me that all those stories I made up in my head, I was actually magically writing in books I created here?"

"Yes."

Katherine watched as Jack walked around the room full of his books, brushing fingers over covers. He didn't know them, not as Katherine did, because they had never had a physical weight for him. But when he flipped open a cover and saw the cover page, Jack's face lit up like he was greeting an old friend. Ombric had once said she looked the same way at her favorite books.

He continued to walk around, pulling books off the shelf randomly, and Katherine continued to stand in the entrance way wringing her hands.

"How many did I write?"

"Around two thousand six hundred."

"And you read them all? You're amazing Katherine." Jack smiled at her and Katherine couldn't help the blush that appeared on his face. The blue hoodie Ombric had found for him really brought out the color of his eyes. 

"You're, you're not angry?"

"What? No! From what I understand, it's only because you read them that I'm even here today."

"But..." But as soon as she had realized that Jack's stories weren't just stories, Katherine had felt as if she was digging into the deepest parts of Jack's psyche. She knew about his life before Pitch, during Pitch, and now after Pitch. Katherine would hate it if a stranger knew that much about her life, knew exactly what tortures she had been subjected too. It was private and only something that should be shared if wanted too.

"Look." Jack moved to stand in front of her and took her hands in his. "I prayed, every night, for forty years to be saved. I prayed to God, and I prayed to the moon who made me a spirit. I was hoping that they'd engineer a way for me to leave Pitch's lair, but what they did instead was give me access to my magic again. I couldn't create ice, not without my staff, but I could create worlds in my head and they were the perfect escape. I lived each and every story Katherine, they weren't just tales in my head but real, solid adventures that took me away from Pitch. I had no idea they were being written here, but I think of that as part of the answer to my prayers. You finding my books, reading them, understanding what was going on in the real world, that was God and the moon helping me get free. And I will never, ever be upset that that happened."

"Okay," she whispered, looking at their clasped hands. Blushing, she looked up into Jack's perfect blue eyes. "But since I know everything about you, it's only fair that you know everything about me. Ask me anything you like, and I'll answer."

"Wanna go grab some snacks then and watch the sunset from the top of Big Root?"

She blinked, not expecting that particular question.

"You said you'd answer any question," he teased.

"Yes. Yes, I'll have a sunset picnic with you."

Jack smiled at her, and Katherine was glad that Jack hadn't forgotten how to do that after years of pain. 

"Come on then." He slipped his hand into hers and pulled a happily blushing Katherine behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda curious, just like Katherine learns about Jack through his stories, what do you guys understand of me via mine?


End file.
